1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to installation of a grip on a golf club shaft. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically placing a handgrip on a golf club shaft without the use of a solvent.
2. Description of the Related Art
Grips have been used on golf clubs to provide a golfer with a greater ability to grasp the golf club during a swing. Grips were used as early as the 1700s when sheepskin grips were the choice of golfers. In the 1800s, leather grips began to appear on a golf clubs, and soon became the dominant grip. In the 1900s, numerous rubber grips were developed mainly by rubber manufacturers. Presently, grips are composed of synthetic rubbers, plastics, and the like.
Handgrips are usually placed on the butt end of a golf club shaft at the club manufacturer. This process has for the most part been a manual process, with very little automation. A golf club shaft is manually wrapped with a double-sided tape at its butt end. Next, a solvent or lubricant is sprayed into the hollow interior of the handgrip, through an open end, in order to place the handgrip over the wrapped butt end without deterring from the adhesiveness of the tape. The handgrip is pulled over the shaft until the closed end of the handgrip is flush with the butt end of the shaft. The solvent eventually evaporates allowing for the tape to adhere to the surface of the hollow interior of the handgrip. Thus, it is obvious that this is a highly repetitious process may lead to injuries to some laborers unless remedial steps are taken by the manufacturer. Further, the use of certain solvents and lubricants may be an environmentally unfriendly means of manufacturing. Yet further, the spraying of a solvent or lubricant is an undesirable step which increases the production time.
The golf industry, and those associated with it, have attempted to automate some of the processes to increase production and lessen injury to laborers. One example is Hsu, U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,428 ("the '428 Patent") for a Golf Club Handle Sleeve Assembling Mechanism. The '428 Patent discloses an assembling mechanism that includes slidable tables, triple acutators with hooks for expanding the front end of the handgrip, an air blower for blowing air into the rear of the handgrip and a fluid hose for delivering a solvent or lubricant to the handgrip for facilitating insertion of the shaft into the handgrip. Another example is Vald'via, U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,026 ("the '026 Patent") for a Golf Club Grip Installing Apparatus. The '026 Patent discloses the use of a grip lubricating device and a golf club shaft lubricating device. The '026 Patent allows for a controlled amount of lubricant to be applied for facilitated insertion of the shaft into the grip. Another example is Cresse et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,706 ("the '706 Patent") for a System And Method For Installing A Hollow Handgrip Over An Elongated Shaft End. The '706 discloses a system and method for applying a liquid adhesive to an interior surface of the handgrip in substitution for the use of tape on the shaft to adhere the grip. The '706 patent inflates the handgrip prior to insertion of the shaft into the grip. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,815 (the '815 Patent") for an Apparatus And Method For Aligning A Golf Club For Attaching A Handle Grip. The '815 Patent discloses an alignment assembly for positioning of a club head attached to a shaft prior to placement of a handgrip on the butt end of the shaft.
The above-mentioned patents fail to provide a fully automated installation of handgrips to golf club shafts, and also still require the need for a solvent or lubricant. Further, the above-mentioned patents require that a club head is attached to the shaft or that shaft is blocked. There still remains a need for a more automated method, one that can grip an open shaft, and one that does not utilize solvents or lubricants.